Equestrians are calling for the Highway Code to be amended to make rider hand signals to drivers clear – as there is disagreement on what they mean.
Kelly Westgate’s Government petition asks for pictorial representation in the code of how riders ask drivers to slow down, as “the current advice could cause dangerous confusion”.
Ms Westgate told H&H the misunderstanding became clear after she shared a video on social media of her 10-year-old daughter Mia hacking out, explaining to drivers that if she raises and lowers her outstretched arm, it is a request to drivers to slow down.
“When we’re out, we get loads of people waving back or completely ignoring us,” she said.
“But when we posted the video on TikTok, there were lots of comments saying, ‘No, that means you’re slowing down.’ It generated debate and it made me look into it.”
But the code neither describes nor pictures the up-and-down motion riders use for this request, as backed by police forces and the British Horse Society (BHS) But it does picture arm signals used by motorcyclists, for whom the same action does mean “I am slowing down”.
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“It’s a contradictory element in the Highway Code,” Ms Westgate said. “It seems a bit daft; the BHS videos, mounted police videos, all riders use that signal to ask to slow down but it gets ignored.
“The code mentions rider signals asking you to slow down but then shows the signal people give to say they are slowing down, so what signal are they looking for? What do we need to do to get them to slow down? I know the Highway Code isn’t up for review again so this is an ongoing battle.”
BHS director of safety Alan Hiscox told H&H that Ms Westgate is “right to point this out” and that he supports her; he has raised the issue with the Government department for transport (DfT) previously.
“The Highway Code has the picture of the motorcyclist and a bit of wording that says ‘also for use by pedal cyclists and those in charge of horses’,” he said.
“There’s obviously a bit of confusion there, but what I think – and I’ve brought this up with the DfT several times but haven’t got anywhere and it’s still on my to-do list with them – is that if they just take out the words ‘and those in charge of horses’, that will clear up any confusion.”
But, Mr Hiscox added, he hopes that the rider’s real meaning, if they give the signal, is being communicated to new drivers.
“We give presentations to driving instructors and one of the questions I put to them is, ‘If you saw a horse rider giving this signal, what does that mean to you?’ and all the driving instructors have said, ‘That means they want us to slow down,’” he said.
Asked by H&H about this specific issue, a DfT spokesperson cited road safety measures taken by the Government, including the updating of the Highway Code in 2022 and the publication this year of the national road safety strategy – in which equestrians have been “largely overlooked” as reported by H&H (news, 15 January).
“The safety of all road users is a top priority for the Government and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads,” the spokesperson said.
“The Highway Code includes the hierarchy of road users, which identifies horse riders among the most vulnerable, with strengthened guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse riders.”
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
